Propeller transfer bearing



' :s sheets-sheet l w. s. HovER PRoPELgEp TBAN'SEER' BEARING Filed Jung V'15. 1959 May v(11,1943.

5 sheets-'sheet 2.

lll 1 AmRNEY H...` mf

w. s. HoQvER PROPELLER TRANSFER BEARING Filed June 15, 1939 May 1.1, 1943.

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A TTORNEY 26 and propeller blades 28 drive thus far explained Patented May 11,' 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE 2,318,929 E I rnoPELLER TRANSFER BEARING Walter S. Hoover, Montreal, Quebec, Canada I Application June 1s, 1939, serial No. 278,859. 9 claims. (Cl. 17u-135.6) l'I'his invention relates to controllable pitch pro- 1 E pellers and more anism thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide a control means for simultaneously adjusting the pitch of two oppositely rotating concentric propellers.

Another object of this invention is to provideA means for oillng a transfer bearing in the control mechanism..

Other and further objects will be apparent from the drawings Yand specification.

In the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout, there is illustrated what is now considered to be the preferred form of the invention. The drawings, however, are for the purpose of illustration only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention. I

Fig. 1a is a front view of. two oppositely rotating controllable pitch propellers.

Fig. 1 is a section taken on lines A, B, C, and D for the front propeller and lines A, B, E, and F for the rear propeller.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the drivefor the propellers of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on lines '3 3 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 4 is a section on lines 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of two concentric oppositely rotating propellers with a modified form of control.

Fig. 6 is a section on lin scavenging pump. y

Fig. 7 is a sectional view with portions shown in full elevation of a somewhat modified form of control of the propeller shown in Fig. 1.

Referring tothe drawings in detail and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, an engine indicated gcnerally at I drives a member I2 splined to beve1 gear I4 and to propeller shaft I6. Bevel gear I4 meshes with a pinion gear I carried by a cage xed to the engine I0. .Pinion I5 drives bevel gear I'I splined to propeller shaft I8 which carries a propeller spider 28and barrel 22 for supporting propeller blades at its outer end. Propeller shaft I6 passes through the interior of shaft I8 and carries a spider 2.4, a hub barrel at its outer end. The will rotate the propellers in opposite directions.

A cylinder 30 is mounted on the barrel 26 at the forward portion thereof and a piston 32 is mounted to reciprocate in the cylinder. The piston carries a member 44 extending into the shaft I6 and having a bearing 46 at the inner end thereof contacting the inner surface of shaft I6 particularly to the control mechs s-s through the p cylinder 30.

pin 36 canied by the propeller blade 34 will, therefore, of the blade 28.

straddles a 28. Axial movement of the rod cause pitch changing rotation 'I'he rods 34 pass through the barrel 26 and at their rear endare fixed to the outer race 38 of a -ball bearing. The-inner race 40 of the ball bearing is carried by a piston, 42 mounted to reciprocate in a cylinder 38 fixed to the forward portion of barrel 22. The piston 42 is guided by a member 43 integral with and projecting for-- ward from the barrel 22. Oil from a governor 5I) is led through a conduit 52 to the interior of shaft I6 and thence into the interior of a tube 54. This oil finds its way along the interior of the shaft I6 and the interior of the member 44 and passes through an orifice 56 in member 44 to the space 58 back ofthe piston 32. .'I'he forward side of the piston is vented by an orifice 59. 'I'his oil also passes through conduit 60 to the space 62 between the shafts I6 and I8. It then passes through the packed joint 64 to the space lIiI back of piston 42. 'I'he governor 56 is of the type which connects the conduit 52 either with a. source of pressure or with a drain. When the conduit 52 is connected with a source of pressure, the pistons 32 and 42 are forced to the right, as shown in Fig.` 1, to move the pitch in one direction. When conduit 52.is connected with a drain centrifugal force acting on the vpropeller serves to change the blade pitch angle in the opposite direction and forces oil out of the. spaces 58 and 66. Centrifugal force may be utilized to move the blades in either direction and hydraulic pressure used to oppose the centrifugal force. In the preferred embodiment, the blades are designed so that centrifugal force tends to reduce the ,blade pitch and hydraulic pressure is used to increase the blade pitch.

Means have been provided for lubricating the ball bearing carried by the piston 42. Aconduit 68 leads fromv the space 66 through the inner race '40 to the ball 'III of the ball bearing. The excess oil is allowed to drain into the space between 'the two propellers. This oil isv rotated by its contact with the rotating propellers and is thereby thrown outward by the action of centrifugal force. -A member I2 secured to the rear portion of the barrel 26 collects this outwardly thrown oil and directs it into a space I4 at the forward portion of the cylinder 48. This oil is be described.

2 I aaiaoac rrne piston 42 is constrained te rotate with au in that projection. 'rne forward face of the cylinder I8 and hub 22 by the rods 18 which conpiston is vented through a hole |28. Its con-n nect that piston with the propeller blades carried struction, it will be noted, serves to keep oil under by the hub 22. Piston l2 carries a plunger pump pressure out of the barrel 28 and thus avoids 18. The outer race 38 of the intermediate bearleakage and the necessity of packing that barrel. ing carries an eccentric pro ection 80. This The general structural features of the blade outer race 38 is constrained rotate with the muntings and their connection with .the proforward hub 28 by the rods 34 which pass throughv peller shafts are the usual and well known feathe hub and are connected to the race. thus the tues quitegenerally employed in the propeller pump plunger 18 rotates in one direction and l0 art.

'itsvactuating cam 80 rotates in the opposite di- By employing thisI double piston feature, that rection which causes the plunger 18 to reciprois,4, a piston for each propeller, the load on the cate in the piston 42. An orice 82 leads from intermediate bearing is greatly reduced and it the space Il through a check valve 84 into the isthus possible to maintains. predetermined pitch Pump chamber from where it is expelled Past relation between the oppositely rotating procheck valve I8 into the space 88 back of the pellers without havingtotransmit excessive loads piston. 4 through the intermediate bearing.

Fig. 5 shows .a construction generally similar Although I have described a specinc embodito that described in Fig. l except that the forment of the invention, it is -to be understood that ward piston 88 is double acting where the piston 20 the invention is not limite'd to that specic em- 32 of the device shown in Fig. l'was single acting. bodiment, but any changes in modiilcation may The hub barrel 90 is a one-piece barrel where the be made as come within the scope of the subbarrel 28 of Fig. 1 was a split barrel. The scav Joined claims.

enging pump for the center bali bearing is of Having now described the invention so that difieren-t construction, and the drive to the prog5 others skilled in the art may clearly understand peller blades is a gear drive as distinguished from the same, what it is desired to secure by Letters a pin and slot drive. It will, therefore. suillce Patent is as follows:

to describe these di'erences without repeating 1. In a propulsion unit having oppositely rothe description of the general constructions. In tating coaxial propellers. means for changing the the device shown in Fig. 5, a two-way pressure 30 pitch of said propellers and a bearing connecting governor 82 is used which connects conduit $4 the pitch changing means of two propellers: ini

with pressure at the time conduit 88 is connected combination means including 8 Source of uid with drain and vice versa. Conduit 94 leads to under pressure for supplying a lubricant under interior of a tube 54 which connects with the rear pressure directly to said/ bearing. means for colside of pistons 88 and 88 in the manner indicated 35 iecliig Said lubricant after it has Passed throllh in the description of Fig. 1. Conduit 98 connects said bearing and means for removing said lubriwith a tube |00 placed inside of conduit 54. Concant from said collecting means. placing it under duit loo leads directly to the front side of piston pressure greater than the pressure of said source n and is supported at its forward end by 9, begrand returning said lubricant to the lubricant ing |02 mounted on the piston 88. By introduc- 40 50u-roe.

ing pressure onto the forward side of the piston 2. Incombination with a pair 0f OPPQSilfeiY Io- 88, assistance is given to the centrifugal force in tating coaxial controllable pitch propellers havchanging the blade pitch, ing pitch changing mechanism, a' piston and cyl- In. the hub construction, the spider m4 is inder device between said propeliers for actuatformed integral with the barrel 90 and the blade 45 i118 the Pitch Changing mechanism, abearing is retained on the spider and in the barrel by carried by said piston and having two parts, one means of a retaining nut |08 against which the .of Which iS Connected With and iS rotated by one thrust bearing |08 acts. propeller and the other of which is connected The scavenging pump performs the same func- With and is rotated by said other propellenmeans tion in this device as it did in the device shown for supplying oil under pressure to one side of in Fig. 1, but consists of an axially reclprocable said piston for actuating the same. means for plunger llo carried by the piston 9|. The piungleading oil from saidy one side of said piston to er is reciprocated by a. cam H2 carried by the said bearing for lubricating the same, means roouter race 38 of the intermediate bearing. Oil tating With Suid Piston for collec-ting the oil is admitted to the plunger through an -orice thrown outwardl from said bearing by centrifugal n and is prevented from backing up by a check force. a pump rotating with said piston for revalve 8| in the manner described in connection turning said oil to said one side of said Piston with the device of Fig. 1. The pump outlet is and means for actuating said pump. controlled by check valve 88. Oil is admitted to 3.- In Propulsion unit having oppositely rothe pump chamber through registering oriiices 60 toting coaxial Propellers. un hydraulic mOtOr for llland Hs in the pump plunger and its cylinder chanoine the pitch of one propeller. means oonwail. d necting the blades of said propellers with said The rods i|8 which are connected to the plsmQlfOl' 101' insuring Similar and Simultaneous tons as and sa and pass through the hub barrels Pitch choosing movements of the propellers. said for gear teeth cut thereon which mesh with gear Commuting means comprising a bearing hVinS teeth on the base of the propeller blades -to change two race-S, one of Which is Connected with one the blade pitch when the pistons are reoiprocated. Propeller und rotates therewith and the other of The structure shown in Fig. 'l is generally simwhich is connected with another propeller and ilar to that shown in Fig. l, but'has a different rotates therewith, means for supplying a lubriscavenging pump, the scavenging pump being eating uid to said hydraulicmotor to operate similar to that shown in Fig. 5. In the' device the same, means for leading u portion of said shown in Fig. 5, however, the piston |20 at the lubricating fluid to said bearing, means tor colforward end of the two propellers is guided on a lecting lubricating duid that has passed through `projection |22 of the barrel 28 and oil is fed to said bearing', a pump operatively associated with the front face of the piston through an orifice one race and having a suction port in said fluid lar and simultaneous collecting means and means associated with the other race for actuating said pump upon relative rotation of said two races for returning lubricating iluid from said lubricantcollecting means to,

the lubricant supply.

4. In a Vpropulsion unit having a pair of oppositely rotating coaxial propellers, a motor for changing the pitch of one propeller and a motor for changing the pitch of the other propeller, means connecting said motors for insuring simipitch changing movements of the two propeller comprising a bearing having two races, one of which is connected with one motor and rotates with the propeller controlled thereby, the other;

the other motor and race being connected with rotatable with the propeller controlled thereby,

Vneaiis for supplying lubricant to said bearing and a'pump carried by one race and actuatedby means carried by the other -race for returning lubricant, that hasV passed through said bearing,

to thelubricantsupply.

5. In a propulsion unit having oppositely r'otating coaxial propellers, means for changing the pitch of said propellers and a bearing having two races rotatable in opposite directions by said propellers and connecting the pitch-changing means of two propellers; in combination, means for supplying a lubricant to said bearing. means rotat- .ing with one of said races for collecting lubri-4 cant that has passed through said bearing, a

, said connecting means pump rotating with said race for returning said lubricant to said supply and means for operating said pump.

6. In a propulsion unit having `oppositely rotating coaxial propellers, means for changing the pitch of said propellers and a bearing having two relatively rotatable races and connecting the pitch-changing means of two propellers; in combination, Y bearing carried by and rotating with one of said races and a means i'or actuating saidpump carried by the other race.

7. In a propulsion unit tating coaxial propellers,

having oppositely romeans for changing the y pitch of said propellers and a bearing having an a pump for circulating oil around saidA inner race and outer race and connecting the pitch-changing means lof two propell'ers; in combination, mechanism for supplying lubricant to said bearing, means surrounding said outer race for collecting lubricant that has passed through said bearing, a pump having a radially extending plunger associated with one of said races and having a suction port located in said lubricant collecting means, and a cam connected with the other one of said races for actuating said pump.

8. In a propulsion unit having oppositely rotating coaxial propellers, means for changing the pitch of said propellers and a bearing having an inner race and ankouter race rotatable in opposite directions by said propellers and connecting the pitch-changing means of two propellers;' in combination, lmechanism for supplying lubricant Vto said bearing, means surrounding said outer race for collecting lubricant that has passed through said bearing, a pump carried by and rotatable with one of said races having a plunger extending axially of said races and having a suction port in said lubricant collecting means and means carried by the other of said-races for operating said pump.'

9. In combination with oppositely rotating coaxial controllable pitch propellers, a double-acting piston and cylinder device for actuating the pitch-changing mechanism of one of the propel- 1ers and a single-acting piston and cylinder device between said propellers for actuating the pitch-changing mechanism of another propeller, a bearing carried by said single-acting piston and having two' parts, one of which is connected with and is rotated by one propeller and the other of which is connectedwith and is rotated lby said other propeller, means for supplying oil oneside of said 

